20 FRIENDS OF THE AGRICULTURIST 



grass and roots, lined with pine-needles and downy seed- 

 heads. It is generally placed in a protea bush or bunch of 

 heath, and usually contains two eggs, which vary from a very 

 pale to a reddish-brown ground colour, and are sometimes 

 marked with pencillings and blotches of black, and some- 

 times of brown. 



The Cape Sugar-Bird (Promerops cafer) is of a sombre 

 brown colour, with the vent and under tail-coverts bright 

 yellow. The males sport long curved tail-feathers. Length 

 of male about 18 inches, whereof the tail is 11 inches ; female 

 9J inches. This species is confined to the Cape Province. 

 The nest — a rare one in the Eastern Cape districts during 

 recent years — can be seen low down on the left of the picture, 

 and is rather indistinct. 



The second species is a scarcer bird, and does not extend 

 to the Cape, being only a winter visitor to Natal. It is 

 called the Natal Sugar-bird (P. gurneyi), and has a shorter 

 tail than the Cape species. Length only 11 inches, tail 6i 

 inches. The feathers of the forehead and crown are of a 

 deep chestnut-red, with pale shaft markings, whereas these 

 regions in the Cape species are buff-brown. 



SUNBIRDS 



The Sunbirds are all friends of the agriculturists, but owing 

 to their architectural skill in nest building we will include 

 them under a more special heading. 



TIT-BABBLERS 



Of the Tit-babblers (Parisoma), the little Bed-vented 

 species (P. sabccerideam) is perhaps the best-known bird 

 in its grey and white plumage, streaked throat, and chest- 

 nut-red vent and under tail-coverts. It is not uncommon 

 in Albany Division, Cape Province, and at Irene and Aapies 



